UGANDA: Government Officials Announce Conflicting Social Media Charge On Users

Uganda government has announced plans to impose a daily tax on social media users from July to raise revenue.

Finance Minister Matia Kasaija has said the proposed tax will see each mobile phone subscriber who uses platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter charged depending on how long they use the platforms.

Earlier this month, President Yoweri Museveni was quoted in a letter to Mr Kasaija and other officials that a tax should be introduced on people who use social media for “gossip”.

The announcement has been criticised by rights activists who said the move is part of a wider attempt to curtail freedoms of expression.

The exact charge is as conflicting as the announcement itself as the finance minister announced that about 200 Ugandan shillings a day, a figure at variance with that of Minister of state for Planning, David Bahatiwho was quoted as saying the daily charge will be 100 shillings.